Motor and fan unit mounting for vacuum cleaners



Nov. Z3, 1948. P. c. RECTOR MOTOR AND FAN UNT MOUNTING FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Aug. 14, 1947 Inventor. Paul C. Rector,

gby p@is At mama Nov. za, 194s MOTOR AND FAN UNIT MOUNTING FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Paul C. Rector, Cleveland, Ohio, aeslgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 14I 1947, Serial No. 768,663

s calms. (ci. 23o-111) The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners and especially to vacuum cleaners of the tank type. although it 'is not limited thereto necessarily.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting and holding means for a cleaner through a central opening (not shown) motor and fan unit of a vacuum cleaner which is simple in construction, enables the unit to be quickly and easily installed in and removed from the vacuum cleaner casing, and can be provided at low cost.

For a consideration oi what I believe to be novel and my invention, :attention is directed to the following speclilcation and to the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, mostly in section, of a tank type vacuum cleaner embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an end cap and clamping flange; Fig, 3 is a perspective view of a resilient mounting member; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view ot a second resilient mounting member.

Referring to' the drawing, I indicates the outer casing of a vacuum cleaner, 2= the cap at the air inlet end of the cleaner, and 2 the cap at its exit end. The cleaner is of rectangular cross section with rounded corners, as indicated in Fig. l2. Cap 2 is detachably connected to casing I by suitable means (not shown) so it may be readily removed. Atthe air inlet end of the cleaner is an assembly comprising a dust bag l, an inner wire bag frame 4*, and an outer wire bag frame i. It is held in the casing by an outturned ilange 6 on the assembly position between theend of casing I and a wall 1 on end cap 2. By removing end cap 2, the bag 4 and bag frame l can be lifted from casing I for emptying the bag. In casing I is a motor and fan unit comprising an electric motor 2 and a two stage centrifugal fan 9. Th'e fancasing III is attached to a ilange II at the lefthand yend of the motor casing by suitable means such as a ring of screws (not-shown) The two air impellers I3 and I4 of the fan are fixed to motor shaft I5. The stationary diiIuser I6 which directs the air from the discharge of `the first stage to the inlet of the second stage is fixed to the fan casing. A handle for the cleaner is indicated at I1, legs of skids for supporting it are indicated at Il, and the opening through which the motor lead wires I3 enters the casing is indicated at 2l. At 2I is the switch for the motor circuit.

The structure so far described is a known one and is to be takenl as typical as any suitable vacuum cleaner construction. Air enters the in inlet end cap 2 and after passing through bag 4 flows through the motor casing, entering through openings 22 and leaving through openings 23. The air then passes through the fan as indicated bythe arrows, discharging from the fan casing through a mufiier 25 attached to the motor casing and thence thrcugh discharge c opening 2l in end cap 3. Mumer 25 is shown as being of the type disclosed in the patent to Foldes 2,247,121, January 24, 1941.

My invention has to do with an improved construction and arrangement for mounting the motor and fan unit in casing I whereby it may be quickly and easily positioned in and removed from the casing and whereby it is isolated from the casing by vibration absorbing means which prevents vibrations of the motor and fan unit vbeing transmitted to the casing.

According to my invention, I provide in casing I two spaced apart holding members 21 and 28, the member 21 being ilxed to casing I by suitable means, such as by welding, and the member 28 being ilxed in and carried by end cap 3 as shown particularly in Fig. 2, and I mount the motor and fan unit between the two holding members through the intermediary oi' resilient members 29 and 3l at opposite ends of the fan casing held under compression by screws or studs 3| which pass through openings in holding member 21 and thread in to tapped openings in member 28.

Holding member 21.is in the form of a casing flange projecting radially inward from casing I at a point just beyond the inner end of bag I. It divides the casing into a bag chamber and a fan chamber. The ilange defines an opening 32 through which the body of the motor projects from the fan chamber into the bag chamber. Holding member 23 comprises a cross bar 33 hav- Ing an opening 34 at its central portion. It is attached at its ends to a ilange 35 carried by a side wall 33. Side wall 36 fits snugly ,in end cap 3 and is attached thereto by welding or other suitable means. It projects beyond the edge of cap 3 to provide a sleeve which slides inside casing I, the end of the cap abutting against the edge of casing I as shown in Fig. 1. The sleeve covers the crack between the edge of cap 3 and the edge of casing I and serves to guide the end cap when it is being assembled on the casing and to hold it in line with the casing. The tapped openings into winch the ends of studs 3| thread are formed in ilange II, the material at such points being reinforced by U-shaped tapped pieces 21 which slip over the edge of flange 35.

.shown in Fig. 1.

They form in substance nuts into which the ends of studs 3l screw. The outer end wall of the fan motor housing is provided with a rounded bulge 38 at its central portion.

, To assemble the motor and fan unit in the casing, resilient member 29, which may be formed from sponge rubber or other suitable resilient material and which initially has the contour shown in Fig. 4, is placed in casing l in engagement with flange II. At this time, the end caps and the bag are dismantled from the casing. Following this, the motor and fan unit is inserted through the open end of the casing, the motor casing being dropped down through the opening at the center of member 29. This may be done advantageously with casing I standing end cap having a cross piece, an inwardly projecting flange in the casing spaced from the end of the outer casing on which the end cap fits, a motor and fan unit in the outer casing of less diameter than said outer casing, said unit being positioned in the outer casing in spaced relation upright on its right-hand end. Following this, l

the resilient member 30 which initially has the form shown generally in Fig. 3 is placed on top casing may be inverted to rest on end cap 3, after which studs 3| may be positioned and screwed up to draw the end cap onto the casing and compress the fan housing between the two members 29 and 30. Four studs 3| may be used, one at to the outer casing wall, a resilient member positioned between said flange and a Wall of said unit, a resilient member positioned between said cross piece and a wall of said unit opposite to said first referred to unit wall, and bolts which connect the flange and end cap together to hold the end cap on the casing and the unit in the casing compressed between said resilient members.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, an outer casing, an inwardly projecting casing flange which divides the casing into a bag chamber and a fan chamber, a motor and'fan unit in the casing of less diameter than said casing, said unit being positioned in the casing in spaced relation to the casing wall with th'emotor projecting beyond said casing flange into the bag chamber, a resilient member positioned against said casing flange in engagement with said unit and the outer casing to position the unit transversely in the outer casing, an end cap for the casing having a cross piece, a resilient member positioned between said each corner of the casing so as to be outside the y fan housing which is` round. The members 29 and 30 are deformed somewhat after the manner They are compressed suflciently to hold the motor and fan assembly firmly in position. In this connection, it will be noted that the fan vcasing is of smaller diameter than casing I so that neither the motor casing nor the fan casing is in direct contact with casing I. C mpression of resilient member 29 forces it r ly against casing I as well as against the end of the fan housing and into the space between the fan housing and the casing. This serves to hold the motor and fan unit against cross piece and a wall` of said unit, and means which holds the end cap on the casing and said resilient members compressed between said flange and said cross piece to position said unit in the casing.

3. In a Vacuum cleaner, a tubular outer casing, a flange inside the casing fixed to the casing wall and spaced inwardly from one end of the casing, an end cap for such casing end, studs which project through the flange and end cap to hold the end cap on the casing, a fan and motor unit in the casing, and resilient members held under radial movement. The unit is held against may be unscrewed and removed. This releases end cap 3 and the motor and fan unit, permitting both to be detached from casing I.

By my invention, I provide a construction wherein a motor and fan unit can be quickly and easily assembled in the casing and removed therefrom without the use of tools other than a screwdriver. At the same time the motor and fan unit is rmly held by the resilient mounting out of direct contact with the casing wall whereby vibrations of the unit are transferred to the casing. It'will be noted also that the studs 3| perform a double function in that in addition to holding the motor and fan unit, they serve also to fasten end cap 3 to casing I. This is of advantage in that it minimizes the number of parts while at the same time holding the end cap firmly in place.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: p

1. -In a vacuum cleaner, an outer-casing, an

compression by said studs between the flange and end cap for resiliently supporting the unit in the casing.

4. In a vacuum cleaner, a tubular outer casing, a flange projecting radially inwardly from the casing wall at a point spaced from one end of the casing, an end cap for such casing end, a fan and motor unit in the casing, studs which connect the flange and end cap to fasten the end cap on the casing, and resilient members positioned between opposed walls of said unit and said flange and end cap and held under compression by said studs for resiliently supporting the unit in the casing.

5. In a vacuum cleaner, -a tubular outer casing, a flange projecting radially inwardly from the casing wall at a point spaced from one end of the casing, an end cap for such easing end having a crossbar, a fan and motor unit in the casing in spaced relation thereto, a resilient member-positioned between said flange and the fan casing and extending into the space between the fan casing and said outer casing, a resilient member positioned between the fan casing and said cross bar, and studs which connect the casing.

No references cited. 

